Panasonic GF5 vs Pentax W80

Lets take a more detailed look at the Panasonic GF5 versus Pentax W80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the GF5 (12MP) and the W80 (12MP) is pretty well matched but the GF5 (Four Thirds) and W80 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The GF5 was released 2 years later than the W80 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a concise view of how the GF5 grades against the W80 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5 and Pentax Optio W80. The complete galleries are provided at Panasonic GF5 Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic GF5 offers external measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Pentax W80 has sizing of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Contrast the Panasonic GF5 versus Pentax W80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the GF5 compared to the W80.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the GF5 and W80 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The visual underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the GF5 and W80.

As you can tell, both the cameras feature the identical MP albeit different sensor measurements. The GF5 uses the bigger sensor which should make obtaining shallower depth of field less difficult. The more recent GF5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.